Bill-producing apparatus for meters



Dec. 3, 1929. J. .1. NOONAN 1,737,363

BILL PRODUCING APPARATUS FOR METERS Filed Dec 9, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 1 WHIP/2i I Hm Am.

l N VIZ/V TOR JZAH J Ne a/74m,

QT-FQRNES s Dec. 3, 1929. v J, J, NOONAN 1,737,863

BILL PRODUCING APPARATUS FOR METERS Filed Dec. 9, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 QC M MM.

25y fiT-raRA/Eys Dec. 3, 1929. J. J. NOONAN 1,737,863

BILL PRODUCING APPARATUS FOR METERS Filed Dec. 9, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 TTRNEVS W j Z Z I J 5 w W Dec. 3, 1929. NQQNAN BILL PRODUCING APPARATUS FOR MET RS Filed Dec. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 3, 1929.

J. J. NOONAN 1,737,863

BILL PRODUCING APPARATUS FOR METERS Filed Dec. 192'? 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 9 dig 12q Z i l 1T'" 0 a 11 lNVE/VYOR HTToRh/Ys Patented Dec. 3, 1929 PATENT OFFICE JOHN J. NOONAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI BILL-PRODUCING APPARATUS FOR METERS Application filed December This invention relates to apparatus of the kind that are used in connection with meters for marking a card, sheet or slip so as to produce a bill or statement showing the meter users indebtedness to the company that furnishes or supplies the commodity measured by the meter.

The main object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the g neral type referred to that is accurate, easy to operate and of such construction that it will not impose a perceptible load on the meter with which it is used.

Another object is to provide a compact bill producing apparatus of simple design and rugged construction, that can be manufactured and sold at a sufficiently low costto make is practicable for use with meters of the kind employed by public utility companies to measure the commodity supplied to the companys customers.

Another object is to provide a bill producing apparatus for meters that can be operated quickly and easily to produce a bill or statement which shows the amount of the meter users indebtedness to the company, if his bill is paid before a certain discount date, and also shows the amount of the meter users indebtedness to the company if the bill is not settled or paid until after said discount date.

Another object is to provide a bill producing apparatus for meters whose co-operating parts are so constructed and arranged that improper manipulation of the apparatus is effectively guarded against. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

To this end I have devised a bill producing apparatus which is distinguished from apparatus of this general type that have heretofore been devised, principally in that the essential parts of the apparatus used in the operation of producing the bill are normally inactive and completely disconnected from the meter, or any part driven by the meter, thereby preventing the bill producing apparatus as an entirety from imposing a load on the meter or affecting the operation of the meter during the period the meter is measur- 9, 1927. Serial No. 238,970.

ing the commodity for which the bill is rendered.

My improved bill producing apparatus can be constructed in the form of a separate unit that is adapted to be attached to or combined with an electric meter, a gas meter, a water meter or other type of meter, or itcan be built into a meter in such a way that it forms an integral part of the meter. Briefly described, said apparatus consists of a marking device that used to produce a mark or impression on a printed form, hereinafter referred to as a bill sheet or card, so as to convert said bill sheet into a bill or statement, a locating mechanism for causing said marking device to register with a certain zone on the bill sheet, according to the quantity of the commodity that has passed through or been measured by the meter during the period for which the bill is rendered, and a governor operated by the meter for controlling the degree of movement of said locating mechanism.

The marking device may consist of one or more punches, or a printing device or an im pression device, and the locating mechanism for the marking device and the governor that is used to control the degree of movement of said locating mechanism can be constructed in various ways. Preferably, the locating mechanism is so constructed that it is normally inactive or in an idle condition when the meter is in operation, and the governor is so constructed that its condition or position will change when the meter is in operat-ion without, however, producing any change in the condition or position of said locating mechanism. Accordingly, the only additional load which the apparatus imposes on the meter is the power required to move the governor, but this is negligible, as the governor is of such design that it can be made light enough and small enough to be driven or moved by the meter without imposing a perceptible load on the meter or affecting the movement of any of the parts of the meter. When the employee of the company who supplies the commodity measured by the meter visits the meter to ascertain the quantity of the commodity that has been measured by the meter during the period for which a bill is to be rendered, for example, the thirty day period prior to the time the meter is read, said employee operates a device which causes or permits the locatin mechanism to move or be moved a certain egree, depending upon the position of the governor, which, as previously stated, is combined with the meter in such a way that it will move or change its position when the meter is in operation. The actuation or movement of the locating mechanism produces relative movement between the bill sheet and the marking device and causes the marking device to register with a zone or section of the bill sheet which preferably contains indiciathat represents or designates the quantity of the commodity measured by the meter during this particular period, and also the amount which the meter user has to pay for said commodity. Thereafter, said marking device is actuated either automatically or manually, so as to mark the bill sheet in such a way as to show that the amount specified in said particular zone represents the meter users indebtedness to the company furnishing the commodity, thereby converting the bill sheet into a bill or statement that is left with the meter user. The printed form that constitutes the bill sheet can be constructed in various ways, but it preferably consists of a card or a sheet on which is printed indicia consisting of words, numerals, characters or symbols that represent different quantities of the commodity handled by the meter and the sales price of each of said different quantities. The arrangement of the indicia on the bill sheet will vary according to the design or construction of the locating mechanism of the apparatus. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the locating mechanism is so constructed that it will move the marking device relatively to the bill sheet, in two different directions at right angles to each other, and accordingly, the bill sheet is divided by intersecting, horizontal and vertical lines, or in any other suitable way, into horizontal rows of zones, each of which rows is made up of a plurality of zones that are in vertical alignment with the zones of the other rows, the first zone of the row being provided with indicia that represents one unit of the commodity measured by the meter, the second zone of said row being provided with indicia that represents two units, and the remaining zones of said top row and those in the succeeding rows being marked in regular progression. It is not essential, however, that the locating mechanism and bill sheet be of this particular construction, for the locating mechanism might be constructed in such a way as to cause the marking device to move in a spiral path, a zig-zag path, or even a straight path over the bill sheet. Moreover, .while I prefer to move the marking device relatively to the bill sheet in the operation of locating said marking device or arranging it in registration with a particular zone or section of the bill sheet, I wish it to be understood that my broad idea contemplates moving the bill sheet relatively to the marking device to etfect the registration of the marking device with the zone or section of the bill sheet which contains indicia that represents the particular quantity of the commodity measured by the meter during the period for which the bill is rendered. One of the disti nguishing characteristics of my apparatus isthat it comprises a means, referred to as a locating mechanism, that is used for causing a marking device to be positioned at a certain point on a bill sheet and which is so constructed that although it is normally disconnected from the meter or any part driven by the meter, it is capable of coacting momentarily with a governor, driven by the meter that controls the degree of movement of said locating mechanism. So far as this feature of my invention is concerned, it is immaterial how the governor and the locating mechanism are constructed and arranged, so long as they cause the marking device to be located at the correct point on the bill sheet without imposing an additional perceptible load on the meter when it is in normal operation.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front elevational view, illustrating an electric meter equipped with a bill producing apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the bill sheet and duplicate, after the have been marked to convert them into a hi 1 and duplicate.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the meter and bill producing apparatus with the front doors or cover plates of the housings of said meter and apparatus removed so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the mechanism that is used to insure accurate registration of the teeth on the governor element M and the lever with which it co-operates.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the left hand end of the carriage and the mechanism that is used to change the position of the variable stop which limits the downward movement of said carriage, the carriage being shown in its normal elevated position.

Fi ure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing the parts in the position they occupy after the carriage has been moved downwardly.

Figure 6 is a fragmentar front elevational view, for the urpose of il ustrating the construction of t e punch block and the ribbed shaft that is used to actuate the punches mounted in said block.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevational view of the governor illustrating how the same coacts with the levers that form part of the locating mechanism which is used to cause the marking device to register with the proper zone of the bill sheet, said view shwing the said levers momentarily engaged with the governor elements.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, illustrating the means that is used to restore the governor elements to zero position.

Figure 10 is a sectional view, taken on the line 1010 of Figure 9, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the right hand end of the carriage, showing said carriage in its normal elevated position.

Figure 12 is a similar View, showing the carriage moved downwardly.

Figure 13 is a sectional view, taken on the line 13-13 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 14 is a detail view of the means that is used to impart aslight forward push to the 'governor element that controls the downward movement of the carriage.

Figure 15 is a bottom end View of the parts shown in Figure 8, looking upwardly; and

Figure 16 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 1616 of Figure 3.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a bill producing apparatus that is used in connection with an electric meter A of the kind employed by electric companies for measuring electric current which the company supplies to its customers, said'meter being provided with dials and co-operating hands or pointers that designate in kilowatt hours the quantity of the electric current measured by the meter. Adjacent the meter A is a housing B that encases a marking de-- vice which is used to produce a mark or impression at a certain point on a bill sheet or card C, thereby converting said bill sheet into a bill or statement which is presented to the meter user. As shown in Figure 2, the bill sheet C is divided by intersecting, parallel vertical and horizontal lines into a group of zones or -sections arranged to form horizontal rows that extend transversely across the sheet and'each of which is made up of a plurality of zones that are in vertical alignment with the zones of the other horizontal rows. Each of the zones w is provided with indicia, for example, a number and the letters K. W. H. that represent a particular number of units of the comomdity measured by the meter, and each zone is also provided with numbers that represent in dollars and cents the sales price or cost to the meter user of the particular quantity of current represented by the indicia in said zone. Generally,the meter users name and address will be printed or written adjacent the upper end of the bill sheet by the company who sells the commodity prior to giving the bill sheet to the employee of the company whose duty it is to visit the meter and mark the bill sheet so as to convert it into a statement or bill that is left with the user. As shown in Figure 2, the first section or zone of the top row of the bill sheet is provided with the numeral 1 that designates one kilowatt hour, the second zone of said row is provided with the numeral 2 that designates two kilowatt hours, and the remaining zones are numbered in regular progression, each horizontal row comprising twenty zones or sections marked so that the extreme right hand zone of line one designates kilowatt hours, the extreme right hand zone of line two designates 40 kilowatt hours, and so on, down the bill sheet. In order that the electric company will have a copy of the bill left with the meter user, the bill sheet C is superimposed upon or combined with a duplicate bill sheet C at the time said bill sheet is being marked by the apparatus to convert it into a bill. Preferably, the bill sheet C and the duplicate sheet C are provided on their top faces with indicia that. represents the amount of the meter users bill if paid within a certain time, and said bill sheet and duplicate are also provided on their under-faces with indicia that is different from the indicia on said top faces, and which represents the amount which the meter user will be required to pay to the electric company if he does not pay his bill before a certain discount date, as it is the general custom of public utility companies such as electric, gas and water companies, to allow a meter user a certain discount for prompt payment of a bill. Obviously, the zones or sections on the underside of the bill sheet and duplicate are in exact registration with the zones and sections on the top faces of said bill sheet and duplicate. The bill sheet and duplicate are pref erably printed in such a way as to clearly show the minimum amount which the meter user will have to pay to the electric company each month or other period of time, irrespective of whether or not the meter user consumes any electric currentduring this period. This minimum amount is represented in the bill sheet and duplicate illustrated in Figure 2 by the first seven zones or sections on the bill sheet and duplicate. If no current has been used during the period for which the bill is rendered, the marking device will mark the first zone of the bill sheet, thus indicating to the meter user that he has to pay the minimum monthly charge of $.50. If a quantity less than seven kilowatt hours has been consumed during the said period, the particular quantity will be marked on the bill sheet, but the same minimum charge will be indicated on the bill.

The marking device of the apparatus may consist of a punch, a printing device or an impression device. It is herein illustrated as consisting of a punch block D mounted upon and arranged to move transversely of a carriage E which slides vertically in'guideways 1 and 2 on a vertically-disposed base plate F that carries the housing B, previously referred to. One convenient way of supporting and guiding the punch block D is to provide the base plate F with a transverselydisosed rib 3, shown in broken lines in Figures 11 and 12, that fits in a dove-tail-shaped groove on the underside of the punch block. The block D is provided with one or more movable punches 4 that are adapted to be forced forwardly through the bill sheet positioned in front of the punch block by rotating a shaft 5 mounted in the carriage and provided with ribs that mesh with racks 6 on the punches. The shaft 5 is arranged transversely of the carriage E parallel to the guide rib 3 on which the punch block slides laterally, and the ribs of said shaft 5 extend unbrokenly, throughout the entire length of said shaft so as to form in effect a long pinion whose teeth are always in mesh with the racks 6 on the punches in any transverse position of the punch block. At the right hand end of the shaft 5 is a handle 7 that is adapted to be swung upwardly from the position shown in Figure 11 to the position shown in Figure 12, so as to force the punches forwardly through the bill sheet and duplicate which at this time are arranged in avertical position between a die plate 8 and a stripper plate 8 mounted on the carriage E and arranged transversely of same, as shown in Figure 3.

Various means can be used to sustain or hold the bill sheet and duplicate while they are being punched. In the a paratus herein illustrated the base plate F 1s provided adj acent its upper end and lower end with forwardly-projecting posts 9 that carry two transversely-disposed members 10 arranged adjacent the top and bottom edges of the base plate, and a plurality of vertically-disposed, arallcl wires 11 are connected to the memliers 10 so as to bridge the space between said members and form a support for the bill sheet and duplicate. The wires 11 are stretched taut and extend vertically between the die plate 8 and stripper late 8* on the carriage, thereby forming a skeleton-like backing or support for the bill sheet and duplicate that maintains the same in a vertical position in front of the punches and which is of such construction that the bill sheet and duplicate can be easily inserted in operative position in front of the carriage. One or more pins 12 project forwardly from the top transverse member 10 on the base plate into holes 12 in the bill sheet and duplicate so as to hold said elements in a certain definite position on the base plate. In View of the fact that elec tric companies have different classes of meter users who pay different rates, according to whetherthey use a relatively great amount or a relatively small amount of the commodity supplied by the company, I prefer to construct the apparatus in such a way that it can be adjuste so as to adapt it for use with various classes of meter users, but after it has been installed, it will cooperate properly only with a bill sheet printed for the particular class for which the apparatus has been adjusted. This is a very advantageous feature of my apparatus, as it tends to reduce error on the part of the electric company or its employee who reads the meter, in usin a wrong bill sheet when producing a bill for a meter user of a certain class. The bill sheets for the different classes of meter users will, of course, be printed differently, due to the fact that the different classes have different rates, and in order to prevent a bill sheet printed for use with one class of customers from being used to produce a bill for a meter user of a different class, the pin or pins 12 that are used to hold the bill sheet and duplicate in operative osition in the apparatus, are so constructe that they can be adjusted vertically or set in different positions, as indicated in broken lines in Figure 3, the adjustment being made at or before the time the meter is installed. The holes 12 in the bill sheets for different classes are located differently. Consequently, after the pins 12 have been set in the proper position to restrict the apparatus to use with bill sheets printed for one one particular class, a bill sheet printed for use with a different class cannot be arranged in the correct position in the apparatus, because the holes 12 in same will not register properly with the pin or pins 12.

The locating mechanism, previously referred to, that is used to arrange the punch block or marking device D in a certain position with relation to the bill sheet, according to the quantity of the commodity that has been measured by the meter during a certain period, comprises a lever G that moves the punch block D transversely of the carriage E, more or less to the left (looking at Figure 3) and a variable stop H that limits the movement of said carriage downwardly away from its normal position which is adjacent or in close proximity to the upper end of the base plate F. The lever G is mounted on the base plate at a point behind the carriage E, and

,the lower end of said lever is pivotally connected at 13 to the base plate. Adjacent the upper end of said lever is a forwardly-projecting pin 14 which enters an open-ended, vertically-disposed slot 14" in a part on the rear side of the punch block D when the carriage E is in its normal elevated position. When the lever G moves to the left (looking at Figure 3) under the influence of a spring 15 that is connected to said lever, the pin 14 on the lever will move the punch block D transversely of the carriage more or less, accordingto the degree of movement of the lever G. The movement of the lever G is controlled by a vertically-movable plate I slidingly mounted on the base plate F behind the lever G and provided on its bottom edge with a series of notches 16 that extend substantially diagonally across the base plate F, as shown in broken lines in Figure 3, and which co-operate with a lug 17 on the lever G. When the apparatus is in its normal inactive position, the upper end of the lever G will be positioned adjacent the right hand edge of the base plate and the tooth 17 on said lever will be in engagement with the extreme right hand end notch 16 on the bottom edge of the plate I. When sa1d plate I is moved upwardly by a meter controlled governor, hereinafter described, the relationship between the notched edge of the plate I and the tooth 17 on the lever G will be changed, thereby permitting said lever to swing to the left under the influence of the spring 15, the degree of movement which sald lever moves to the left depending upon the distance that the plate I moves upwardly. In order to insure the lever G moving regularly and remaining in operative relationship with the controlling member I, said member I is provided at its top edge with a series of notches 16, disposed oppositely to the notches on the bottom edge of said member and arranged so as to co-operate with a pin 17 at the extreme upper end of the lever G, said pin 17 co-operating with the top edge of the plate I to restore said plate to its normal depressed position when the lever G is swung to the right, back to its normal position.

The carriage E is mounted in such a manner that it is intended to be moved downwardly manuall by the employee of the electric company who operates the apparatus to produce a bill or statement for the meter user. Said carriage is normally held in its elevated position by a vertical rack 18 on the base plate F that meshes with a pinion 19 connected to a transversely-disposed shaft 20 on the carriage that is combined with a torsion spring 21, as shown in Figure 3. The vertical rack 18 on the base plate is also used in conjunction with the shiftable stop H, previously refered to, to arrest the downward movement of the carriage E when said carriage is actuated by the employee of the electric company in the operation of producing a bill. The stop H and the mechanism for setting said stop in adjusted position is shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. Said stop H consists of a dog or lug rigidly connected to a pinion 22 that is rotatably mounted in an oscillating frame 23 carried by a bracket 24 connected to a flange which projects forwardly from the left hand edge of the carriage E. At one side of the pinion 22 is a gear 25 that meshes with the rack 18 on the base plate. The pinion 22 is capable of turning relatively to the gear 25 when the carriage E is in its elevated position, but when said carriage starts to move downwardly, the pinion 22 is caused to move in unison with the gear 25 by means of a spring-pressed dog 26 on the gear 25, which at that time is in engagement with one of the teeth of the pinion 22. Figure 4 illustrates the carriage E arranged in its inactive or extreme elevated position. At such times the pinion 22 meshes with a p 1n1on 27 carried by a bracket or other stationary support on the base plate F, the sprlng-pressed pawl 26 on the gear 25 is held out of engagement with the pinion 22 by means of an abutment device 28 on the 'base plate, and the swinging frame 23 is held in such a position that a tooth 23 thereon 1s disengaged from the rack 18 on the base plate, said frame 23 being held in this position by a spring 29 that exerts pressure on said frame in a direction to hold a portion of said frame pressed against the abutment device 28. Due to the fact that the pinion 22 at such times is disconnected from the gear 25 and is capable of rotating relatlvely to said gear, it is possible for the pin on 22 to be turned so as to set the stop H in a particular position which will vary according to the quantity of the commodity that has been measured by the meter. The movement of the pinion 22 to change the position of the stop H is effected by turning the pinion 27 by means of a reciprocating rack bar 30 whose teeth mesh with a small pinion 31 connected to the pinion 27, said rack bar 30 being moved downwardly by a member, hereinafter described, which momentarily coacts with a governor operated by the meter. Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Figure 4, downward movement of the rack bar 30 causes the pinion 27 to revolve in clockwise direction and turn the pinion 22 which carries the stop H, thereby arranging said stop H in a certa1n position which will vary according to the degree of downward movement imparted to the rack bar 30 by the governor controlled member with which it co-operates. Thereafter, the employee of the electric company moves the carriage E downwardly, and as soon as said carriage starts to travel downwardly, the spring-pressed pawl 26 on the gear 25 engages the pinion 22 and causes said pinion to start to revolve with the gear 25 which turns during the downward movement of the carriage, due to the fact that said gear meshes with the rack bar 18 on the base plate. During the downward movement of the carriage the stop H revolves with the gear 25, and when said stop comes into engagement with the stationary rack 18, as shown in Figure 5, it arrests the downward movement of the carriage E, and causes the frame 23 to swing in a direction to force the tooth 23 thereon into eng g ent with the rack 18, thereby in effect locking the carriage and preventing it from movingl either upward y or downwardly while t e tooth 23" on the frame 23 remains in engagement with the rack 18 on the base late. After the punches 4 on the punch b ock D have been actuated to unch the bill sheet, the carriage E is move upwardly back to its normal elevated position and when said carrier reaches its extreme elevated position, the stationary abutment device 28 tri s the spring-pressed dog 26, thus releasing the pinion 22 from the gear 25, and said abutment device 28 also engages the swinging frame 23 and holds it in such a positionthat the tooth 23 on said frame is out of engagement with the rack 18.

The member that is used to move the notched plate I upwardly so as to shift punch block D transversely of the carriage, and the member that is used to depress the rack bar 30 so as to set or adjust the stop H, consist of two levers J and K, respectively, shown in Figures 8 and 9. Said levers J and K are arranged at the left of the rack 18 on the base plate in such a position that their front ends will co-operate with a governor, operated by the meter A, and their rear ends will cooperate with the plate I and rack bar 30. During the operation of converting the bill sheet into a bill, the lever J engages a projection 31 on the plate I and moves said plate upwardly against the force of a spring 32, and the lever K engages a lug 33 on the rack bar 30 and moves said bar downwardly. The levers J and K are moved in one direction by springs 34 connected to said levers, and they are moved in the opposite direction, in opposition to said springs, by means of links or thrust rods 35 connected to said levers and arranged to co-operate with cams 36 on a shaft 37 provided with a pinion 38 which meshes with a pinion 39 connected to a keycontrolled, rotatable actuating device L that is adapted to be turned by the employee of the electric company who produces the bill. Preferably, the rotatable actuating device L is provided with a slot that is adapted to receive a removable key L in the possession of the employee of the electric company, thereby eliminating the possibility of the apparatus bein manipulated or operated by an unauthorized person. After the key L has been inserted in the actuating device L, said key is turned so as to cause the cams 36 to engage the thrust rods 35 and move said rods upwardly, thereby rocking the levers J and K more or less, according to the position or condition of the governor operated by or driven by the meter A. Due to the fact that the levers J and K are moved varying dis tances, the thrust rods 35 are provided with spring-pressed plungers 35 that form the active ends of said thrust rods which bear upon the cams 36 and which will yield, and

thus permit the cams to pass said plungers after said levers have been arrested or stopped by the governor.

The governor that controls the degree of movement of the locating mechanism for the marking device. can be constructed in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. The essential thing is that it be of such construction and arrangement that movement of the units wheel or some other suitable part of the meter A results in a change in-the condition or position of said governor and causes a part or parts of said governor to become operative to serve as a stop or stops which coact momentarily with a part or parts of the locating mechanism to permit or cause the locating mechanism to move more or less, according to the quantity of the commodity that has been measured by the meter during the period-for which a bill is to be rendered. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the governor comprises one element M that controls the lever J and a separate element N that controls the lever K; said elements preferably consisting of cams arranged so that their peripheral edges will serve as stops for the levers which they control. As shown in Fi ure 3, the governor element M consists of a dbuble cam, one portion 40 of which is provided on its peripheral edge with twenty notches and the other portion 40 of which is provided on its peripheral edge with twenty notches, each of the said notches representing 1 kilowatt hour. Said governor element M is connected by a clutch 41 to a shaft 42 which is provided at its front end with a pinion 43 that meshes with a gear 44 driven by the units wheel of the meter A, as shown in Figures 3 and 8. Said element M is disposed at substantially right angles to the lever J and is so arranged that the front end of said lever is normally spaced away from the peripheral edge of said element, but is capable of moving into engagement with said peripheral edge when said lever is rocked by its co-operating thrust rod 35. The governor element N is also composed of a double cam whose respective portions 45 and 45 are provided on their peripheral edges with twenty notches each. The element N is arranged at right angles to the element M and is connected by a clutch 46 to a shaft 47 provided with a worm gear 48 that meshes with a worm 49 fastened to the shaft 42 which is driven by the meter through means of the large gear 44. Said worm and worm gear are so designed that the governor element N will move one step forwardly at each half revolution of the governor element M. The governor element N co-operates with a laterally-projecting extension 50 on the lever K that is normally spaced away from the peripheral edge of the element N, but which is adapted to be moved into engagement with the peripheral edge of said element when the thrust rod 35 of said lever N is moved upwardly. When the meter is in operation the governor element M rotates in clockwise direction, and the governor element N rotates in anti-clockwise direction, but at a materially slower speed than the element M. It is necessary that the governor elements M and N be set in zero position at the beginning of each period for which a bill is rendered, and in order that this may be done without disturbing the meter A, means is provided for releasing the elements M and N from the shafts that turn them and for restoring said elements to a zero position each time the appa ratus is used to produce a bill. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the means that is used to restore the governor elements to zero position consists of reciprocating bars 51 and 52 arranged so that when they move upwardly, they will co-operate with pins 51 and 52 on the rear sides of the element M and N, respectively, to revolve said elements back to zero position. A clutch shifting device 53 operated by the bar 51 is provided for throwing out the clutches 41 and 46 preparatory to restoring the governor elements to zero position. Said clutch shifting device is so arranged that when the bar 51 starts to move upwardly, the device 53 will move in a direction to throw out the clutch 41 that connects the element M to its shaft 42, and also throw out the clutch 46 that connects the element N to its operating shaft 47. The bars 51 and 52 are combined with springs 54, as shown in Figure 8, that normally exert downward pressure on said bars and hold them in an inactive condition. Upward movement is imparted to said bars by means of laterally-projecting pins 55 on disks 56 attached to the shaft which carries the cams 36 that actuate the thrust rods of the levers J and K. When the key controlled actuating device L is revolved by turning the key L, the cams 36, by co-operating with the thrust rods 35, will move the lever J into momentary engagement with the governor element M and will move the lever K into momentary engagement with the governor element N during the first portion of the revolution of the shaft that carries the cams 36. As soon as the cams 36 pass out of engagement with their co-operating thrust rods, the levers J and K are restored to their normal inactive positions by the springs 34. During the last half of the revolution of said shaft, the pins 55 on the disks 56 engage the bars 51 and 52 and move them upwardly. As soon as the bar 51 starts to move upwardly, it exerts pressure on a pawl 53 on the clutch shifting device 53, thereby causing the upper end of said device to swing to the right (looking at Figure 8) and throw out the clutch 41 that is associated with the governor element M, this movement of said clutch shifting device also causing an extension 53 thereon (see Figure 10) to throw out the clutch 46 that is associated with the governor element N. During the succeeding upward movement of the bars 51 and 52 said bars co-operate with the pins previously referred to on the governor elements and move said elements back to zero position. After the pins 55 on the disks 56 have moved out of engagement with said bars 51 and 52, said bars move downwardly back to the position shown in Figure 8, under the influence of the springs 34 associated with the same.

In order to be sure that the governor element N will move one step forwardly each half revolution of the governor element M, the lever J is provided adjacent its free end with a pawl 57 (shown in Figures 8, 9 and 14) that is adapted to strike against a ratchet wheel 58 attached to the sleeve of the clutch 46 that is fastened to the governor element N, and impart a slight forward thrust to said element each time the free end of the lever J moves into engagement with the twenty-first tooth on the governor element M, said twentyfirst tooth being the first tooth on the portion 40 of the governor element M. I also prefer to construct the governor element M in such a way that it will be subjected to a slight forward thrust in the event the key controlled actuating device L is manipulated to effect the operation of the locating mechanism of the apparatus at a time when the governor element M occupies such a position that one of the notches in the peripheral edge of same is slightly offset with relation to the free end of the lever J, thus eliminating the possibility of the marking device not moving into exact registration with one of the zones of the bill sheet, as would occur if one of the notches in the governor element M was offset slightly or not in exact registration with the end of the lever J when said lever is moved into engagement with said element. Another advantage that results from constructing the apparatus in this manner is that the electric company will collect for a full kilowatt, even though the units recorder of the meter shows only a fraction of a kilowatt at the time the apparatus is operated to produce a bill. This does not mean, however, that the meter user is defrauded or required to pay for part of a kilowatt that he has not consumed, but it simply means that the meter user pays in advance for a fraction of a kilowatt, for after the bill producing apparatus has performed its function, the governor element M lags while the units wheel of the meter is moving to set up the remaining port-ion of the kilowatt in the units recorder of the meter, due to the back lash in the means that transmits movement from the units wheel of the meter to the governor element M. The means herein illustrated for effecting this result consists of a ratchet wheel 59 fastened to the pinion 43 on the front end of the shaft 42 and adapted to co-operate with a pawl 60 which is so arranged that the front end of the lever J will strike againsta resilient tail piece 61 on said pawl and move the pawl against the ratchet wheel 59 each time said lever moves into engagement with the governor element M, thereby insuring proper registration of the notches in the element M and the end of the lever J.

Normally, the carriage E occupies a position adjacent the upper edge of the base plate, and the lever G occupies a position wherein the tooth 17 on said lever is in engagement with the extreme right hand end notch in the bottom edge of the plate I. In this position of the carriage the punch block D is located at the extreme ri ht hand edge of the car riage, and the pinion 22 that carries the stop H which is used to control the downward movement of the carriage is in mesh with the pinion 27, as shown in Figure 4. The only parts of the bill producing apparatus that move during the period when the electric current is being measured by the meter A are the governor elements M and N which are driven from the units wheel of the meter-A by the gear 44. These governor elements are relatively small, they are of light weight, and as they are normally disconnected from the levers J and K which they govern, they do not impose a perce tible load on the meter A and have no ten ency to affect the operation of the meter.

At stated intervals, for example, the end of a month, an employee of the electric company that supplies the current measured by the meter A visits the meter for the purpose of examining the same and producing a bill or statement for the meter user which shows the quantity of electric current that has been measured by the meter during this period and the amount which the meter user is required to pay for said electric current. To produce the ill the employee of the electric company first inserts a bill sheet C and duplicate C in the apparatus by opening the front door 62 of the housing B, and moving the bill sheet and duplicate downwardly between the die plate 8 and stripper plate 8 of the carriage E, the bill sheet and duplicate being sustained in operative position by the supporting wires 11 and the pin or pins 12 that project forwardly through the holes 12 in the bill sheet and duplicate. The employee then inserts a key L in the actuating device L and turns said key in anti-clockwise direction, so as to cause the cams 36 to move their co-operating thrust rods 35 upwardly, thereby causing the front end of the lever J to move into momentary engagement with the peripheral edge of the governor element M and the extension 50 on the lever K to move into momentary engagement with the peripheral edge of the governor element N, the distances which the levers J and K move in this operation depending upon the position which the governor elements M and N occupy at this time. The movement imparted to the lever J causes the notched plate I to move upwardly, whereupon the lever G will swing to the left and move the punch block D transversely of the carriage, and the movement imparted to the lever K will move the rack bar 30 downwardly, and thus cause the stop H to be arranged in a certain position with relation to the gear 25. Thereafter, the employee moves the carriage E downwardly more or less, according to the position of the stop H, the downward movement of said carriage causing the gear 25 to revolve until the stop H strikes against the stationary rack 18, whereupon the swinging frame 23 will be moved in a direction to force the tooth 23" thereon into engagement with the rack 18 on the base plate, as shown in Figure 5. These operations have caused the punch block D to shift transversely of the bill sheet and also downwardly over the bill sheet, thereby locating the punch block in registration with the particular zone on the bill sheet that contains indicia which represents the quantity of the electric current that has been measured by the meter during thatperiod. If, for example, the meter has measured 134 k. w. hours during that period, the governor v elements M and N will occupy such a position that when the key controlled actuating device L is manipulated and the carriage E thereafter moved downwardly, the punch block D will be in registration with the zone of the bill sheet marked 134 k. w. After the downward movement of the carriage has been arrested by the stop H striking against the stationary rack 18, the employee grasps the handle 7 on the right hand end of the shaft 5 and swings said handle upwardly into the position shown in Figure 12, thereby causing the punches in the punch block to move forwardly into the die plate 8 and form two holes in the bill sheet and duplicate at opposite sides of the zone marked 134 k. w. The handle 7 is then restored to its former position, so as to retract the punches, after which the bill sheet and duplicate are removed from the carriage.

In the operation of turning the key L to move the levers J and K of the locating mechanism into momentary engagement with their co-operating governor elements M and N, the said governor elementsare restored to zero position during the last part of the cycle of operations of the key operated actuating device L by means of the reciprocating bars 51 and 52 that co-operate with the resetting pins on the governor elements. To restore the parts of the apparatus to normal position, the employee grasps a handle or knob 63 at the lower end of the lever G and turns said handle so as to swing the upper end of said lever to the right, which operation permits the plate I to move downwardly under the influence of its spring 32. The employee manually moves the carriage E upwardly to restore it to its elevated position. The rack bar 30 that forms part of the mechanism for setting the stop H is restored to its normal elevated position by a lever 64 (shown 1n Figure 3), whose outer end co-operates with an extension 30 on the upper end of sa1d rack bar, and whose inner end is provided with a part 64 that is adapted to be engaged and moved by the-frpnt door 62 of the housing B when said door is moved into its closed position. In order to insure the various parts of the apparatus being restored to normal position before the employee leaves the meter, the lever G is provided at its lower end wlth an extension 63, disposed so that the front door 62 of the housing B will strike against said extension unless said lever G has been fully restored to its normal position.

The apparatus is provided with various devices for insuring the parts of the apparatus co-operating properly with each other. For example, a means is provided for preventing the punch block D from moving transversely of the carriage E during the downward movement of said carriage, which means is herein illustrated as consisting of a rockable plate 65 arranged transversely of the carriage and provided with a series of holes 65 (shown in Figure 3) that are adapted to co-operate with a forwardly-projecting pin 66 on the punch block, as shown inFigure 11. Said plate 65 is rigidly connected to a rock shaft 67 that extends transversely of the carriage and which is provided at one end with an arm 68, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. When the carriage is in its normal elevated position, the free end of said arm 68 fits in a notch 69 in the guideway 1 on the base plate, thereby holding the plate 65 at a point in advance of the pin 66 on the punch block. When the carriage E starts to move downwardly, the end of the arm 68 travels out of the notch 69 and rides upwardly onto the edge of the guideway 1, thereby causing the plate 65 to rock inwardly into engagement with the pin 66 on the punch block, and thus effectively holding the punch block against lateral movement relatively to the carriage. When the carriage is restored to its normal elevated position, the plate 65 is automatically disengaged from the pin 66 on the punch block by the engagement of the arm 68 with the wall of the notch 69.

In order to prevent the lever G from mov ing laterally relatively to the punch block, after the carriage E has started to move downwardly, thus causing the pin 14 on said lever to not enter the groove 14" on the rear side of the punch block when the carriage is thereafter restored to its normal operative position, I have provided the plate I at its right hand end with a set of teeth 7 O that cooperate with a spring pressed lever 71' carried by the guide 1 on the base plate. When the carriage E is in its normal elevated position, said carriage exerts pressure on one end of the lever 71 and holds said lever in such a position that the opposite end of said lever is held out of engagement with the teeth 70 on the plate I, but as soon as the carriage starts to move downwardly, the lever 71 moves automatically into engagement with the teeth 70 on the plate I and holds said plate securely in the position into which it was moved by the upward movement of the rear end of the lever J. Accordingly, as the plate I is locked and held against vertical movement, and as the lever G can only move when the plate I moves vertically, the pin 14 on the lever G will be sure to register with the slot 14 provided for same in the punch block when the carriage is restored to its normal elevated position.

In order to prevent the carriage E from being moved upwardly at a time when the punches are rojecting forwardly through the bill sheet, I provide the left hand end of the shaft 5 with a reduced portion 5 shown in Figures 4 and 5, that serves as a stop which co-operates with a projection or lug 72 on the swinging frame 23 to prevent said frame from swingingfar enough to disengage the tooth 23 thereon from the rack 18 unless the shaft 5 has been rocked back to its normal position, so as to withdraw the punches 4 from the bill sheet. This reduced portion 5 of the shaft 5 and the co-operating projection or lug 72 on the swinging frame 23 are also used to prevent the punches 4 from being actuated when the carriage E is in its elevated position. As shown in Figure 4, the reduced portion 5 on the shaft 5 is in engagement with the lug 72 when the carriage is in elevated position, and accordingly, the handle 7 at the opposite end of the shaft 5 cannot be rocked upwardly so as to operate the unches 4 at such times. However, when t e carriage moves downwardly, into its active position, as shown in Figure 5, the swinging frame 23 will rock in a direction to render the lug 72 inoperative with relation to the reduced portion 5 of the shaft 5 after the stop H strikes against the rack 18 and tilts the carriage 23, thus releasing the shaft 5 and permitting it to be actuated to force the punches through the bill sheet.

In order to securely lock the carriage E in its elevated operative position and prevent said carriage from moving downwardly unless a bill sheet' has been previously arranged in operative position in the base plate, the transversely-disposed member 10 that carries the pins 12 is provided with a hole through which projects a pin 73 that is pivotally connected to a latch 74 on the underside of said member, as shown in Figure 16, the free end of said latch being adapted to enter a hole 75 in the carriage when said carriage is in its elevated position. The pin 7 3 projects forwardl a slight distance above the front face of t e member 10, but when a bill sheet is introduced into the apparatus and positioned between the pin 73, and a resilient arm 76 that is arranged above said pin, pressure will be exerted on said pin 7 3 in a direction to disengage the latch 7 4 from the carriage, and thus release the carriage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bill producin apparatus for meters, comprising a device or marking a bill sheet, a locating mechanism for producing relative movement between said marking device and bill sheet so as to arrange the marking device in a certain relationship with the bill sheet, and a governor operated by the meter that controls the degree of movement of said locating mechanism and which is combined with the same in such a manner that said mechanism does not impose a load on the meter when the meter is in operation during the period for which the bill is to be rendered.

2. A bill producin apparatus for meters, comprising a device or marking a bill sheet that contains indicia which represents different quantities of the commodity measured by the meter, 9. locating mechanism for producing relative movement between said marking device and bill sheet so as to arrange the marking device in a certain relationship) with the bill sheet, and a governor operated y the meter, normally disconnected from said locating mechanism and constructed and arranged so that it permits the locating mechamsm to move a greater or lesser degree during the operation of producing a bill according to the quantity of the commodity that has been measured by the meter during the period for which the bill is rendered.

-3. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a mechanism for producing relative movement between a bill sheet and a device that causes said sheet to be marked to show the amount of the bill produced by the a paratus, a governor operated by the meter w ose condition or position changes when themeter is in normal operation, said mechanism being normally idle or inactive when theposition or condition of said governor is changed, and means whereby said mechanism, when actuated or set in operation, will move more-or less according to the position or condition of the governor at that time.

:4; .A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising mechanism for producing relative movement between a bill sheet and a marking device, a governor operated bythe meter for controlling the degree of movement of said. mechanism, said mechanism being i normally disconnected from said governor,

and an actuating device that is adapted to be operated-to cause said mechanism to act and move a greater or lesser degree according to the position or condition of said governor at the time when said mechanism is set in operation.

5. A bill producing apparatus for meters, COIDPliSlIlg a mechanism for producing relative movement between a bill sheet and a markin device, said mechanism being so constructe that it normally imposes no perceptible load on the meter with which the apparatus is used, a governor operated by the meter whose position or condition changes according to the amount of the commodity measured by the meter, and means whereby said mechanism, when actuated or rendered operative, will momentarily coact with the governor and will move a greater or lesser degree according to the position or condition of said governor at that particular instant.

6. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a marking device that is adapted to co-operate with a bill sheet which contains indicia that represents different quantities of the commodity measured by the meter and the price or value of said difl'erent quantities, a locating mechanism for producin relative movement between said marking evice and bill sheet, a governor operated by the meter and constructed so that it normally is disconnected from said locating mechanism, and means whereby said locating mechanism when set in operation to produce a bill, will coact momentarily with said governor and will cause the marking device to be arranged in operative relationship with the particular indicia on the bill sheet that represents the quantity of the commodity which has been measured by the meter during the period for which the bill is rendered.

7. A bill producing a paratus for meters, comprising a marking evice adapted to cooperate w1th a bill sheet that contains a plurality of indicia which represent different units of the commodity measured by the meter, a locating mechanism for producing relative movement between said marking device and bill sheet constructed so that parts of same are normally idle or inactive, a governor whose condition or position changes when the meter is in operation, and an actuating mechanism for causing a means that forms part of said locating mechanism to coact momentarily with said governor when said actuating mechanism is set in o eration, said governor and said locating mec anism being so constructed and arranged that the mo-.

mentary coaction referred to causes the marking device to be arranged in registration with the indicia on the bill sheet that represents the quantity of the commodity measured during the period for which the bill is rendered.

8. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a marking device that is adapted to co-operate with a bill sheet having zones provided withindicia representing different amounts and quantities, a locating mechanism for producing relative movement between said marking device and bill sheet so as to locate said device in registration with a particular zone on the bill sheet, and a cam operated by the meter for governing the degree of movement of said locating mechanism, said mechanism comprising a part that is normally disengaged from said cam but which is adapted to be moved into contact with the peripheral edge of said cam during the operation of producing a bill.

9. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a marking device that is adapted to co-operate with a bill sheet provided with zones arranged in horizontal and vertical columns and each equipped with indicia that represents a certain quantity of the commodity measured by the meter, mechanism for moving said marking device relatively to the bill sheet in two directions at right angles to each other so as to arrange the marking device in registration with a particular zone on I the bill sheet, and means operated by the meter for governing the degree of movement of said mechanism.

10. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a marking device that is adapted to co-operate with'a bill sheet provided with zones arranged in horizontal and vertical columns and each equipped with indicia that represents a certain quantity of the commodity measured by the meter, mechanism for moving said marking device relatively to the bill sheet in two directions at right angles to each other so as to arrange the marking device in registration with a particular zone on the bill sheet, and governor elements operated by the meter for controlling the degree of movement of said mechanism, one of said governor elements being used to control the horizontal movement of the marking device relatively to the bill sheet and the other governor element being used to control the vertical movement of said marking device.

11. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a marking device that is adapted to be moved transversely and longitudinally of a bill sheet so as to arrange said device in registration with indicia on said bill sheet that designates the quantity of the commodity measured by the meter during the period for which the bill is rendered, two governor elements operated by the meter, one of which is used to control the'transverse movement of the marking device and the other used to control the vertical movement of the marking device, and a locating mechanism for the marking device comprising members normally disconnected from said governor elements and adapted to be moved momentarily into engagement with same so as to determine the degree of transverse movement and the degree of vertical movement of the marking device.

12. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a carriage which is adapted to move relatively to a bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a marking device on the carriage that is adapted to move at an angle to the path of travel of the carriage, two governor elements operated by the meter, a means that co-operates with one of said governor elements to control the degree of movement of the carriage relatively to the bill sheet, and a separate means that co-operates with the other governor element to control the degree of movement of the marking device relatively to the carriage.

13. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a carriage which is adapted to move relatively to a bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a marking device on the carriage that is adapted to move at an angle to the path of travel of the carriage, two governor elements operated by the meter, a means that co-operates with one of said governor elements to control the degree of movement of the carriage relatively to the bill sheet, and a separate means that co-operates with the other governor element to control the degree of movement of the marking device relatively to the carriage, said governor elements being normally disconnected from the means with which they co-operate, and mechanism for producing momentary coaction between said means and governor elements.

14. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprisng a carriage arranged to travel longitudinally of a bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a transversely-movable marking device on the carriage, two cam shaped governor elements operated by the meter, a means for moving the marking device transversely of the carriage more or less according to the position of one of said governor elments, and a separate means for permitting the carriage to move more or less in one direction according to the position of said other governor element.

15. A bill producing apparatus for meters,

comprising a carriage that is adapted to be moved longitudinally of a bill sheet, positioned adjacent the carriage, a transverselymovable marking device on the carriage, a variable stop on the carriage for governing the degree of movement of the carriage in one direction, a means for shifting said marking device, transversely of the carriage, governor elements operated by the meter, and members that are adapted to be moved into engagement with said governor elements for effecting the adjustment of said variable stop and for controlling the degree of movement of the shifting means for said marking device.

16. A bill producing apparatus for meters,

comprising a carriage that is adapted to move relatively to a bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a transversely-movable marking device mounted on the carriage, a lever for moving said marking device relatively to the carriage, a reciprocating part for controlling the degree of movement of said lever, a variable stop for controlling the de ree of movement of the carriage in one direction, governor elements operated b the meter, and members that are adapte to coact with said governor elements to impart movement to said reciprocating part and to etlect the adjustment of said variable stop.

17. In a bill producing apparatus for meters, a carriage arranged so as to travel adjacent a bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a transversely-movable marking device mounted on the carriage, a lever for moving said marking device relatively to the carriage, a reciprocating plate provided with notches that co-operate with a tooth on said lever, a spring combined with said lever to normall exert pressure on same tending to move t e lever in one direction, and a means for moving said notched plate in a direction to permit said lever to move under the influence of its spring more or less according to the quantity of the commodity measured by the meter during a certain period.

18. In a bill producing apparatus for meters, a carriage arranged to travel in one direction relatively to a bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a transversely-movable marking device mounted on the carriage, a variable stop on the carriage for limiting the degreeof movement of same in one direction, a gearing for setting said stop, and means for turning said gearing a greater or lesser degree according to the quantity of the commodity measured by the meter during a certain period.

19. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a carriage arranged to travel longitudinally of a bill sheet, means for supporting a bill sheet in operative relationship with said carriage, a marking device mounted on the carriage, a lever for moving said marking device transversely of the carriage, a variable stop on the carriage, a stationary rack with which said stop co-operates to arrest the movement of the carriage in one direction, governor elements operated by the meter, means that co-operates with one of said governor elements to control the movementof said lever in one direction, a means that co-operates with the other governor elea bill sheet positioned adjacent the carriage, a transversely-shiftable markin device mounted on said carriage, a lever or shifting said marking device transversely of the carriage, a reciprocating notched plate for controlling the movement of said lever in one direction, a rack over which the carriage travels, a gearing on the carriage provided with a variable stop that co-operates with said rack to limit the degree of movement of said carriage in one direction, governor elements operated by the meter, members normally disconnected. from said governor elements and adapted to be moved momentarily into contact with the same for effecting the movement of said notched plate and said gearing, and amanuallv-operated actuating device for causing said members to coact with said governor elements.

21. An apparatus of the kind described in claim 20, in which the gearing used to adjust the variable stop is carried by a swinging frame mounted on the carriage, a part on said frame that co-operates with the rack over which the carriage travels to lock the carriage when it reaches a certain position, and means for holding said swinging frame in a position to prevent locking of the carriage when said carriage is in its normal position.

22. An apparatus of the kind described in claim 20, in which each of the governor elements is provided with a series of notches, each one of which represents one unit of the commodity measured by the meter, and means for preventing said governor elements from assuming such a position that the notches of same will be positioned incorrectly with said members when said members are operated during the operation of producing a bill.

23. A bill producing apparatus for meters, comprising a marking device that is adapted to co-operate with a bill sheet provided with a number of horizontal lines, each of which is made up of zones arranged so that the zones of the respective lines are in vertical alignment with each other, each of said zones containing indicia that represent a different number of units of the commodity measured by the meter, a locating mechanism for said marking device, a governor element operated by the meter and provided with a series of notches which correspond in number to the number of zones in each horizontal line of the bill sheet, a separate governor element operated by the meter and equipped with a series of notches that correspond in number to the number of horizontal lines on the bill sheet, and members forming part of the locating mechanism that are adapted to be moved into engagement with said governor elements to control the degree of movement of the locating mechanism for the punching device.

24. The combination of a meter, a governor combined with the meter in such a way that said governor moves a certain distance each time one unit of the commodity is recorded in the meter, a marking device that is adapted to co-operate with a blll sheet provided with indicia that represent different units of the commodity measured by the meter, a locating mechanism for producing relative movement between the marking device and the bill sheet comprising a means that is adapted to coact with the governor momentarily to control the degree 0 movement of said locating mechanism and means for moving the governor relative to the meter, for the purpose described, in the event the locating mechanism is set in operation while the meter is measuring a fraction or portion of one unit ofthe commodit y JOHN J. NOONAN. 

